COLLEGE BASKETBALL

Cleveland State clinches NCAA tournament bid

It beats No. 16 Butler, which is still expected to get an at-large bid.

Cedric Jackson scored 19 points and Cleveland State used a flurry of three-point baskets to beat No. 16 Butler, 57-54, Tuesday night, winning the Horizon League tournament championship and earning its first NCAA tournament berth since 1986.

Cleveland State, which lost to Butler in the Horizon championship game last year and twice to the Bulldogs this regular season, earned its first tournament title, giving it the conference's automatic spot in the NCAA tournament. Butler, ranked in the top 25 most of the season, is expected to receive an at-large NCAA tournament bid.

DeJuan Blair of Pittsburgh and Hasheem Thabeet of Connecticut have been selected co-players of the year in the Big East Conference.